OKLAHOMA
Author and teacher Dr Nyla Ali Khan lost her husband Dr Faisal Khan last week. Living in Edmond, Oklahoma, rheumatologist Dr Faisal, son of former SKUAST VC, Hashmatullah Khan, had gone for bear hunting in Le Flore County where he died in a crossbow accident. Nyla, Sheikh Abdullah’s granddaughter, had lost her father, Dr Ali M Matoo early last year. The couple had a daughter, Iman. Oklahoma, it may be recalled here, has a well-organized hunting system for deer, antelope and bears. Almost 140 thousand hunters, mostly bow hunters, kill an average of 30,000 deer’s in a hunting season.
In 15 years, 230 human lives were lost to man-animal conflict as 2860 survived injured.
ZIMBABWE
Ismail ibn Musa Menk, known to the world as Mufti Menk is a virtual world sensation. A Zimbabwean Islamic scholar, heading the country’s fatwa department is considered one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world. The Gujarat read scholar is fluent in Urdu as well. Last week, he flew to Srinagar with the sole aim of performing the Nikah ceremony of Mursleen Pirzada, daughter of Peerzada Feroz, with Yawar Mir, son of former minister Mohammad Dilwar Mir. It was an asaltan nikah performed before a select audience at Grand Palace, Srinagar. His Srinagar visit created a huge sensation and thousands of people wanted to see him. It did not happen at all. On the flip-side, Menk got a lot of memes to his credit.
In the last 3 years, 134 separatists were arrested and 82 bank accounts were frozen.
JAMMU
Last week, business tycoon and NC’s top Jammu leader, Devinder Rana remained on the margins of news but at the core of gossip after he exit from the party. Working in Jammu, Rana had many issues with the party and vice versa. While his party had not liked his Jammu Declaration, Rana had problems in not being consulted over the key decisions. Days ahead of the rumours, Rana had met various other party leaders and was on a Delhi visit too. “Right now when I am speaking to you, I am the Provincial President of the NC,” Rana told Kashmir Life. The party had flown Nasir Aslam to talk to Rana. On the flip side, people say till Navratra 11 is not over, tensions will remain. He finally joined the BJP on October 11, 2021.
In Kashmir, a recent study revealed 66.3 per cent of people reporting for treatment of inhalants are between 10-19 years, in fact, two out of three patients are minors.
SRINAGAR
The swift decision-making by Jammu and Kashmir administration is seen as a scare in itself. Within hours after Baseer Khan presided over a meeting, the decision came of his unceremonious ouster. His entry to the adviser circuit was no different from his exist. The man with his heart on the right side, actually, shocked people with his role reversal in a few days. Before he superannuated as Divisional Commissioner, he had attended scores of meeting with the Chief Secretary in the chair. A day later after his takeover, he called a meeting with Chief Secretary in attendance. Some top officers protested over the tamasha. His exit came almost the same way. Informally, it is being said that he has to face prosecution in certain cases. Did not the government know it earlier?
Almost 75000 first-year college students and 2000 ST students across Jammu and Kashmir will be given tablets
PULWAMA
Kashmiri author, Shabir Mir’s debut novel, Plague Upon Us is one of the five books shortlisted for the JCB Prize. The winning novel will get a Rs 25 lakh prize and the four entries will get one lakh rupees each. The jury that decided the short-list included literary translator Sara Rai (Chair), designer and art historian Annapurna Garimella, author and translator Shahnaz Habib, journalist and editor Prem Panicker, and writer and podcaster Amit Varma. The other books that have been shortlisted include Name Place Animal Thing by Daribha Lyndem, Gods and Ends by Lindsay Pereira. The list also features two works of translation — Anti-Clock by V J James, and Delhi: A Soliloquy by M Mukundan, both of which have been translated from Malayalam. The announcement will come on November 13.
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) is expected to extend Rs 50 crore infrastructure and livelihood projects to Jammu and Kashmir
HANDWARA
Last week, Anil Kumar, an engineer died of cardiac arrest while on duty. Given the fact that his family lived in Jagti, the issue was to drive the coffin home for last rites. The family was in distress and was willing to pay for the services. This angered the residents and one of them, Mansoor Ahmad Lone decided to take the body home. Lone told reporters that he was personally distressed that his family comprising his mother, sister, wife and children, was waiting for two hours for somebody to accompany them and handle the body. This was despite the fact that the hospital had given them the ambulance. He took the family to Nagrota and returned with Abbas, the ambulance driver.
74 vehicles, 5 houses, 6 shops allegedly used for terror activities have been seized in Kashmir
DELHI
Dalgate resident was studying in Delhi, became a student politician, married and settled there. Years later, she emerged as the Congress leader known as Tajdar Babar (1936-2021). The mother of former Delhi Mayor, Farhad Suri, Babar passed away last week. Throughout her political career, she was close to the Nehru family. Once, she headed the Congress in Delhi. She was a member of Delhi’s legislative assembly, thrice, representing Minto Road, assembly constituency. She is survived by two daughters and a son.
ABU DHABI
His bowling against Royal Challengers Bangalore at 152.95 km per hour has made Umran Malik, 21, a new star. Taken as a replacement for T Natarajan, who was inflicted by Covid19 in the ongoing IPL, the Sunrisers Hyderabad must be happy that Malik has fetched them a huge edge and a lot of free publicity. “This tournament throws up talent every year, good to see a guy bowling at 150 clicks. It is important to understand the progress of individuals from here on,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation after his team lost the game by four runs. Umran’s IPL debut (151.03 kmph) was against Kolkata Knight Riders but his 152.95 kmph zinger made him the fastest of the IPL, surpassing Lockie Ferguson (152.75 kmph). Malik had clocked 146-plus speed in the very first over, and he entered 150s twice on the speed gun, the only Indian to have done so in the IPL.
Son of a small fruit shop owner in Jammu’s Gujjar Nagar, the rookie was noticed by coach Randhir Singh Manhas at the age of 17. “Initially, he was not quite serious about the game. He would turn up one day and then disappear for three days,” Manhas told Sportstar. “And again, after a week or so, you would see him bowling at the nets. He had a passion for the game, but did not take things seriously.” The Class-X drop-out was selected for Jammu and Kashmir’s U-17 team. Playing tennis ball cricket, he was famous with local tournaments. He eventually was picked by Irfan Pathan for mentoring.
“This year, David Warner struggled while facing him at the nets and that’s how he caught the eye of the team management. He is still a work in progress,” Pathan was quoted saying. “He is very good friends with Abdul Samad – who also plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad. And for the last two seasons, he was a net bowler with SRH and that has not only boosted his confidence but has also helped him learn a thing or two from international cricketers,” Parvez Rasool has said.
SRINAGAR
In an interesting twist in Kashmir politics, Javaid Mustafa Mir who had migrated out of the People’s Democratic Party and joined a new party has now entered Apni Party. With his joining, the APGD has gone less by a berth and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Movement (JKPM) – the Greenfield party launched by Dr Shah Fesal, has literally ceased to exist. Mir, 52, was Revenue Minister of BJPDP government before defecting to JKPM and finally landed into JKAP.
JAMMU
RSS Chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat spent 4-days in Jammu, his first after August 2019. During his visit he said the scrapping of Article 370 has triggered a “systemic change” but will have to be followed by people with a “change in their mindset”. Apart from making a long speech in the University auditorium, Dr Baghwat had detailed online and offline interactions with RSS cadres. He even had a detailed meeting with the BJP leaders.
